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Monday, March 22, 2010

Julia's Empanadas

Plaudits: NoneNeighborhood: Four in the DC area, one each in Dupont, Adams-Morgan, Columbia Heights, and Takoma

In place of a Monday Munchie, we'll throw a quick review of one of our favorite munchie-sized grab-and-go places, Julia's Empanadas.

The Setup

It was the middle of March Madness and I was standing outside Public Bar waiting for my drinking/basketball watching partner-in-crime when she called to tell me she was running late. Having not eaten dinner yet, and with now 20-30 minutes to kill, I went with my best cheap option: walking across the street to Julia's Empanadas.

The Vibe

At the Dupont location at least, Julia's is just a small walk-in shop, with the bare minimum, and just a small heating case with the empanadas in question. It's not an eat-in place, which accounts for the obligatorily low date rating.

The Food

Some people may love their Jumbo Slice as drunk food, but for my money, Julia's Empanadas is perfect. At $3.75 a pop, they are just the perfect snack size for the pre- or post-drink nosh. In this instance, I got the Chilean style beef empanada (ground and chopped beef, raisins, hard boiled egg, onion, olive) before I went into Public, and after four drinks and six first round games, returned for a saltena (chicken, potato, green peas, hard-boiled egg, green olive, raisins, and onion).

The Verdict

Like I said, not exactly someplace you would eat inside, but perfect for the walk-and-carry date (especially given their locations) or a drunk munchie late at night. If you don't believe me, go ahead and get one to try. There are plenty of varieties, and they're the perfect size.

Food Rating: *** (out of 5)Date Rating: 1 Heart (out of 5)Dress Code:Casual Bar Rating:N/AVibe:CalmCost: $ (out of 5) (Less than $25 for two)Pairing: It being the Dupont location, you could just pop a squat in the park on the corner of 18th and Connecticut and people watch. But if you're looking to do something, try Lucky Bar next door, which has probably the most diverse entertainment possible. They show EPL soccer on the weekends, have salsa lessons on Sunday nights, and are generally packed all the other nights.

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